


From Eden

by Cinnamon_Cop



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Acceptance, Achilles and Patroclus are good bros, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Ares is making it difficult, At least for Than, Awkwardness, Based on a Twitter Post, Bottom Thanatos, Coming Out, Don't Ask, Dorks in Love, Drunkenness, Everyone is at least 19 or 20 plus, Fluff and Smut, From an amazing artist, Frottage, Hades is a prick but he tries to be a better dad, Hypnos is a little shit, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Indirect Love Confessions, Inspired by a Hozier Song, It's about Charon, Karaoke, Kissing, M/M, Mild Angst, Mutual Pining, Nyx is best mom, Okay I'll stop now, Or at least I /hope/ so since I doubt my skills, Parties, Self-Doubt, Slow Burn, Smut, Sweet/Hot, Than and Zag are secretly in love, Than majors in Law, There are no minors here btw, They sort it out in the end, Top Zagreus, Zag gets bullied, Zag majors in Sports, Zag paints Than's nails at one point, college shenanigans, it's okay tho, just a bit, just a little, mentions of muteness, soft boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:00:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27142804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon_Cop/pseuds/Cinnamon_Cop
Summary: Thanatos and Zagreus have been in love with each other ever since they were in high school. They never knew about one another’s feelings, instead acting like very good friends. However, once they winded up in the same University...It was only a matter of time until they told each other the truth.---------------------------------------------------------A story of how love came to be between two men destined for each other. Or, as I like to call it, a ThanZag Modern AU.
Relationships: (Occasionally mentioned) Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game), (Occasionally mentioned) Artemis/Callisto (Hades Video Game), (Occasionally mentioned) Charon/Hermes (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 139





	From Eden

**Author's Note:**

> ☆Please check out my Twitter!!☆
> 
> /Ahem-/
> 
> This fic is going to be /long./ I can already tell, considering the amount of ideas I have- I want to take a moment to explain why I ended up writing a Modern AU, though! This entire work was inspired by art made by @choronachts on Twitter, who created a beautiful College AU setting for ThanZag! Go follow them if you have a Twitter account, their art is amazing!! Another wonderful person I want to thank for helping me settle the roles of the characters is @Seraesthetic on here, who was kind enough to aid with my struggle of making the plot and settling everything properly! Thank you so much, hon! ^^ Lastly, I also want to thank @csili_23 for the advice they provided for this work!
> 
> REMINDER: If you have any requests for these two, don't hesitate to drop them in the comments below! I always read all the comments and reply to each and every one, so don't hesitate to do it! Thank you for taking the time to read through my works and get ready, because this one will be one long ride~

_Thanatos and Zagreus are childhood friends._

_They grew up together ever since they were nothing but a pair of toddlers throwing sand at each other in the park. The two of them lived very close to one another and their mothers, Nyx and Persephone, have been very good friends for the longest time. Colleagues at work, both having the trade of teaching, the women found easy ways to bond with one another, so it was no mystery to anyone. Persephone supported Nyx whenever the older woman found it difficult to handle her family and her work on her own and in turn, Nyx was there every step of the way for Persephone when the younger female got pregnant with Zagreus. It was all going splendidly, truly._

_At least until Persephone thought her son came out stillborn and the pain of it all drove her to disappear._

_Zagreus was raised by Hades, a single, sour father at the time and the stoic dean of Hell University. For the most part, as years washed by them all, the authoritarian man required extended aid with raising his unruly son since his job usually took up a large quantity of the time he could've spent with Zagreus (not to mention he had little to no clue about how to raise a child in the first place). Nyx, the college psychologist and a single mother in her own accord, chose to honor the fond memories she had of Persephone's kind friendship and took it upon herself to keep the woman's spot in Zagreus' life as a mother figure. That's how Zagreus ended up being babysat almost 24/7 by the gentle lady, thus spending most of his days at the side of Thanatos, Charon and Hypnos. Hades felt extreme guilt for making someone as hardworking and dedicated as Nyx tire herself with looking after his wild offspring aside from her own, but... he didn't necessarily have a choice. Especially since, deep down, he didn't have the heart to put Zagreus in a daycare center, nor hand him over to Demeter (who offered to raise him as her own in her daughter's stead). Hades didn't trust that old witch of a mother-in-law._

_It wasn't what Persephone would've wanted._

_On the other hand, Thanatos was raised by Nyx alone, just like the rest of his siblings. He, as well as the others, never had a father figure in their life, so they grew up greatly respecting their mother and the effort she put in taking care of them all by herself. Thanatos grew used to Zagreus' presence in their home and, for a while (when he was still a child), he thought the boy might actually be his brother. It didn't take him long to understand that was not the case in the slightest and all of his initial doubts have been cleared in an instant when Nyx gently explained to him and Charon (since they were the oldest siblings in the house, 10 and 15 at the time respectively) that Zagreus was Persephone's son. Than knew Mrs. Persephone since he was a baby and he was two years old at the time the woman vanished and Zagreus was born. It was hard for him to understand why she chose to leave her own son behind in such a cruel way._

_All he could blame for such harsh reasoning back then was the fact that he was still at a young age when he learned this particular truth._

_Zagreus didn't seem to realize he was devoid of his birthmother's presence as he grew up. Nyx sufficed in that regard and the child genuinely ended up thinking the woman may be his mother. Hades didn't try to tell him otherwise, letting Zagreus believe it wholeheartedly, if only to not crush the boy's reality and make him question if his entire life was a lie once he found out. The dean may be considered cruel by his students, but deep down..._

_He is nothing but a man burdened by grief._

_Zagreus was bright, sweet and full of life as an infant. Nyx raised him to be kind and fair to those around, trying her best to do it in the way she thought Persephone herself would have. If Nyx knew the younger woman, she knew Persephone would've done the same, so she genuinely hoped she did good in her task. Even if she would sometimes be away from her children for the sake of work, the psychologist always made sure the little ones were watched over by someone capable, someone she trusted enough. And, after a few more years passed, the one to watch over them all while Nyx wasn't around became Charon, the eldest of the siblings in the Night family._

_Thanatos ended up helping Charon with it as soon as he was deemed capable enough to handle himself, at least. Charon wasn't able to talk, for starters, so he wasn't the best babysitter out there since he couldn't tell his younger siblings off in case they did anything they weren't supposed to. All he could do was cook, do chores and watch over the children dutifully to ensure their safety. Charon suffered a particular, severe accident when he was five years old and the unfortunate event reduced his voice to nothing but small, barely audible groans and moans, having damaged his vocal chords beyond repair. The male was officially deemed mute since then, so he was now stuck to communicating his thoughts through sign language and writing. Luckily for him, though, nothing else in his body was injured, so everything was like it should be aside from that one, single aspect. Thanatos, who felt driven by his compassion to aid the elder due to Charon's condition, took it upon himself to learn sign language and translate what Charon would have to say to their younger siblings and Zag, should the need for it have arose._

_It was the least he could do._

_Charon never let his predicament bring him down in life. It was a given he had been picked on for the longest time because of it, but he wasn't weak enough to crumble at the slightest gust of wind. Thanatos admired his older brother for it, respected him for his determination to bring his enemies to the ground, given his circumstances. The unfairness with which Charon was treated back then, the injustice of it all, it drove Thanatos towards a new calling in his life. At that point, Than knew he wanted to help others and bring order to the world, be the pillar of support for those who couldn't fight for themselves._

_He decided he was going to become a lawyer._

_Zagreus, for that matter, knew what he wanted to do from a younger age than Thanatos did. Given his penchant for being unusually active even for someone his age, the boy realized he had a knack for sports of all kinds. Hades noticed it as well in the short time he would spend with his son and, even if they weren't in the best of relationships, he decided he wouldn't let the child's talent go to waste. The dean knew someone who could aid Zagreus with evolving his skills, someone capable of handling even a youngster whose behavior was similar to the flames of a bright, chaotic fire in the prime of its life._

_Achilles._

_The ex pro athlete and the current varsity coach of Hell University was a man known for his temperance and his determination to make the best out of what he had to deal with. It was no wonder, considering he was a changed person. Achilles had to deal with harsh anger issues in his youth, which costed him his career as a pro and the title he was about to win. But with time (and lots of therapy that his husband forced him to go to), he learned to be peaceful, to drive all violence away._

_It wasn't a mystery that the varsity coach managed to train Zagreus as good as he did. Achilles was calm with the youth after his experiences (no matter how many times Zagreus was misbehaving) and he managed to teach the boy various techniques in a large array of sportive domains. Starting with soccer, Achilles shortly discovered Zagreus had the capability for many more sports, ranging from field ones (such as pole vaulting, track and hurdles) to gymnastics and even combat-oriented ones (such as kickboxing and wrestling)._

_Zagreus was truly a sports prodigy._

_In the meantime, Thanatos found out more about himself growing up. Where Zagreus was maintaining himself occupied with physical activities, Thanatos was on the opposite end of it all. The elder (as well as some of the teachers and his own mother) figured he had an impressive mental capacity and his memory was more than top notch. Thanatos was highly intelligent and it was taking him little to no time to accumulate knowledge whenever he read a book or listened to anything worth learning from. He became a model student ever since he was little and Nyx took the time to sign him up for a series of contests that would showcase his gifts, as well as special courses. Thanatos was humble despite his intellect, so he was appreciated by most around him, aside from a few particular people who couldn't stand looking at him and all his glory._

_It happened to the best of us._

_At times, when he was still in high school, Thanatos would stop by a flower shop in the neighborhood to buy his mother a present in order to show his deep appreciation for the female, even if such a small gesture was certainly far from enough to repay her for her kindness. He made it become some sort of tradition, to visit this flower shop once every month and buy Nyx a bouquet of pretty bellflowers that symbolized his gratitude. The fact that they were his mother's favorite color was just a bonus. Nyx always appreciated them, decorating various corners of their house with the bouquets and caring for them until the flowers would wilt to naught but handfuls of dust._

_However, inside that flower shop worked a very... peculiar man, to say the least. Thanatos has never been afraid of anything ever since he was little (which he was usually considered strange for, not that he cared what others believed), so he wasn't scared of the stranger, the florist with dark skin, long hair and a certain sense of peace about him. In fact, as time passed, the mysterious florist learned Thanatos' pattern for visiting his flower shop, so one day, he brought himself to ask, "Who are those flowers for, stranger? They must be for someone important, considering the regularity with which you buy them."_

_Thanatos tilted his head, holding the freshly bought bouquet of bellflowers close to him. He weighed the pros and cons of telling his reasons to someone he barely spoke to before, but looking at the older man, the student could tell he meant no harm with the question. So he decided to grace him with an answer, "My mother, sir. I buy them as a gift to show her my deep appreciation for all of her hard work." He explained, golden eyes gazing somewhat fondly at the little plants he held in his hands. The florist nodded in understanding, "That is a very sweet gesture on your part. You mother is fortunate to have a considerate son such as yourself." He hummed, fixing the small hairband wrapped around his head._

_For a little while, a soft silence settled over the shop. Thanatos appreciated it since he had a deep love for quiet, peaceful places, and so did the man behind the counter. They seemed to be sharing similar tastes in that regard, at least. However, as he stood there, Thanatos realized that the florist never asked him about his name in all this time he came by, even though he knew he is a regular here. So, finding it unusual, Thanatos spoke, "Sir, may I ask you something?"_

_The florist nodded once again casually, "No one is stopping you, stranger."_

_"How come you never asked me for my name? I have been dropping by this flower shop every month for the past year and a half." Thanatos said, genuinely curious. The florist seemed somewhat amused by the question, leaning on the counter, bearded chin resting on the palm of his hand idly before he hummed, "Did you ever ask me for mine?" Thanatos blinked, then realized the florist was right in what he was saying. He never asked the man about his name, so why would the elder ask him about his own? "Then, dare I ask, what is your name?" The youth murmured, slightly embarrassed by his lack of politeness. The florist didn't hold it against him, instead humming simply, "My name is not important, stranger. I know you, and in return, you know me. That shall suffice, for it is an accord we have forged over these brief moments we shared together whenever you stopped by this shop. Do you not agree?" The elder suggested._

_Thanatos blinked, but he understood the message. The florist was a man with an intricate mind to say the least and the youth found himself with a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, realizing he found an intriguing friend in the other. "I agree." Than said. "But I will find a way to figure out what they call you, sir. That much I can promise you."_

_"And in return, I shall keep calling you stranger, young one. I hope you don't take it the wrong way." The florist chuckled, once again amused. They parted ways with Thanatos paying for the bouquet, just as usual. But unlike the usual, Thanatos now gained a friend (regardless of what normal people would think based on their conversation)._

_Later down the road, Thanatos found out (during one of his brief check-ins with Zagreus, when the youth was practicing with his coach) that the florist's name was Patroclus. Achilles' husband, to be more exact (what a small world it is), and a man with a particular trait where he wouldn't refer to others by their name unless he cared for them as deeply as he did for his beloved. Thanatos understood and respected that fact, so he grew used to being called stranger by Patroclus. But he was still amused when the elder seemed surprised by Than calling him by his name for the first time. "You did it, in the end. You did say you will, after all." Patroclus said, genuinely impressed. Thanatos nodded, and that's how Patroclus (who now had a deeper respect for Thanatos) ended up being some sort of spiritual counsellor to him as they shared deep talks each time Than would come by for his usual bouquet purchases. It was therapeutic, in a way._

_And Thanatos was grateful for Patroclus' guidance, just as Zagreus was for Achilles'._

* * *

_At the very end of high school, Thanatos came across a new issue. And so did Zagreus._

_Despite them being in different schools, the time they spent together inevitably made them grow fonder than ever of each other's company. Thanatos was usually closed off, but with Zagreus, he felt like he could share everything. Yet even so, he wasn't insane enough to admit his unusual, uncertain feelings towards the youth, especially since he had no clue what Zagreus' sexual orientation was. Hell, Thanatos was still figuring out his own at the time._

_Thanatos tried dating a girl, once. She was kind and sweet to him despite his lack of communication skills, but later, Than found out he felt absolutely no attraction towards her, none of any kind. He knew it would be cruel to play with her feelings and it wasn't in his nature to do so either (having been raised to be kind and fair, not to mention his love for what is right), so he discussed the matter with the female and she took it nicer than he anticipated. "I understand, Thanatos. If your heart tells you so, I am not holding it against you." She said, all smiles and politeness. Thanatos felt relieved._

_And then he was left to struggle with his strange feelings for his childhood friend._

_Unlike Than, Zagreus had it worse. As time went by and his relationship with his father degraded in Persephone's prolonged absence, the young man tried to find comfort in having different affairs, be they with women or men. He felt like he wanted to try everything out, attempted to form bonds with people he barely knew, then got himself hated for it. For a while, Zag was disliked by many because he was considered a 'player', but when the rumors about his orientation came out..._

_Gossip became the least of his concerns._

_"Oh, so you like dudes? Hah! Creepy-ass fairy! I bet you wanna get on your knees for us now, no? I can give you something to suck on, no problem!" One of the guys cornering him loudly boasted. Zagreus was pinned against the wall behind him by a classmate almost twice his size (what the hell did this bastard eat to grow this tall?), who was grinning smugly down at him, amused by the new discovery regarding the male's sexuality. Zagreus, despite being surrounded, didn't let himself be defeated, instead smirking in return as the taller pressed his arm against his chest hard to keep him there. 'Patience, lad.' Achilles' words rung in Zagreus' head. 'Patience is all you need. Even if your opponent is bigger, wait for the opportunity to strike.' "Do you suck dick? I bet you do. You're gross, dude, I feel sick looking at you. You dumped so many hot chicks who were fawning over you like bitches in heat for what? Cock? Disgusting."_

_Zagreus hummed. "Isn't it hilarious how I am the one who also finds men attractive, yet you are the one who acts as if he constantly has something stuck up his ass?" He said, seemingly unaffected. A few of the guys around him actually chuckled at his remark towards their 'leader', but the big guy was having none of it. He yanked Zagreus by his hair, bringing his face closer to his own and roared, "ARE YOU CHALLENGING ME, YOU COCSUCKER?! I SWEAR I'LL-" But his words died in his throat when Zagreus suddenly moved, skillfully escaping the bully's clutch before kneeing him hard in the stomach, knocking out all of the air from the guy's lungs and making him double over. The others around tried to battle Zagreus instead, but they chickened out after two more got themselves beaten up as if they were nothing but mere training dummies._

_Zagreus got himself a little battered up, but he didn't care. He won, and that was all that mattered. Looking down at the tall bastard from earlier, he placed his boot on top of the male's back and said, as calmly as possible, "Do not mess with me again, or you'll regret it. My business is mine alone, you judgemental asshole." Zagreus warned, before he kicked his downed enemy one more time for good measure, turning on his heel and walking away, hands in the pockets of his ripped jeans. The guy he left behind was still struggling to catch his breath._

_Zagreus was having a hard time dealing with his current predicament. His father was a condescending prick who barely gave a fuck about his situation, his grades have been dropping for a while (which earned him several penalties from the principal) and now he was getting bullied for his orientation, too. He heard high school was going to be hell, but this?_

_This is worse._

_As he made his way towards the gates of the school to take a walk around the park nearby and cool off, Zagreus accidentally knocked into somebody who was walking in. He had been looking down, deep in thought, so he didn't notice them round the corner. Straightening himself, Zagreus sighed, "I apologize. I wasn't lo-" but when he looked up, the one he spotted made his heart tremble with a mixture of all sorts of emotions. Happiness, relief, nervousness... "Than?!"_

**_Love._ **

_"Zag, where are you going? I was-" Thanatos wanted to ask something, but now that his golden eyes settled properly on the slightly shorter man, he froze, noticing the trickles of blood coming from Zagreus' mouth, as well as his nose. There was a fresh bruise forming on the youth's right cheek and he seemed in a rough shape, which concerned Thanatos enough for his own heart to shudder in return. Although, his was shuddering with sorrow for what Zagreus got himself in and anxiety for the reason behind it. "What happened to you?" Thanatos found himself asking without giving it much thought, but Zagreus didn't seem keen on sharing it with him. "It's... It's nothing, Than." He softly said. "I just got in a small squabble with some mates. I'll be okay..."_

_Thanatos felt inclined not to believe that. The sight of the guy he had feelings for being in such a state, showing such reluctance to talk about what happened, certainly didn't sit well with him. But if he knew Zagreus, he knew that the youth wouldn't just tell him what happened, being the stubborn man that he is. So Thanatos didn't press it, instead just nodding, motioning Zag to follow him. "I still have a class to go to-" Zagreus tried to argue, but his words died in his throat when Thanatos grabbed his wrist gently, dragging him along towards the medical area of the high school so he could patch Zagreus up and help with soothing the pain in his cheek._

_Since Than was looking forwards, he couldn't see Zagreus blush at the small contact between them, just like Zagreus couldn't see Thanatos' face redden at the boldness of his own actions._

* * *

_High school ended as fast as it started._

_In a flash, almost, both Thanatos and Zagreus graduated, although one of them did so earlier than the other. The difference between them was two years, but the school year difference was only one, because Thanatos used one year of his life to take a special series of courses Nyx signed him up for around 6th grade. That year did not count for the rest of them, so Thanatos returned to normal school in a class one year lower than he should've been, yet it didn't hinder his learning process in the slightest. After all, Nyx signed him up for school at an earlier age than usual anyway, so he was, technically, in the class he was supposed to be now._

_It means that at the time Zagreus joined Hell University with him, Thanatos was a sophomore. He majored in Law considering he still had his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer ever since the issue with his brother, Charon, while Zagreus majored in Sports, since that was what he wished to do. The youth was thrilled when he realized that his coach for the said class was none other than the man he trained with all these years, while Thanatos was secretly pleased when he realized the location of the University facilitated his visits to the flower shop Patroclus worked at._

_At least they had some guidance in this entire mess they call life._

_During this time, Zagreus manned up and came out about his bisexuality to Nyx and his friends. Nyx was never the judgemental type, so it was no wonder she understood Zagreus and accepted him wholeheartedly, supporting him unconditionally. For Thanatos, those were serious news, because it meant Zagreus liked men too and, well..._

_Thanatos is a man, is he not?_

_At the same time, Thanatos finally figured out the reason his relationship back in high school never worked out. His secret attraction towards his best friend made him realize he was gay, so he, too, had a thing or two to discuss with his mother. Nyx wasn't surprised when Thanatos gathered the courage to let her know, because, as she put it, "Charon told me the same thing, my child. He, too, shares your orientation. Your twin, Hypnos, is just like Zagreus, or perhaps I didn't understand it well... I apologize if I am not well-versed in the nuances of the community. I shall further research the term 'Pansexual.'" Nyx explained, matter-of-factly. Thanatos felt a weight fall off his shoulders, which only served to make him lightheaded afterwards when his mother continued her speech. "I, too, admit that I often found myself intrigued and attracted by the same gender. Perhaps it is because of my distrust towards men that I gained after your father's betrayal... or perhaps because the friendship I shared with Persephone was one I wished would have blossomed into something more... complex. Yet I knew she loved Hades, so I rid myself of the interest after a time. I was pleased to at least be her friend, while she was with us."_

_Thanatos nodded in understanding. He was not alone in this and his mother understood him, so he had no reason to feel ashamed of himself. Nyx was surprised when her son hugged her, but she did not reject him, offering him the comfort the male craved as they stood embraced for a while._

_Everything was going to be alright. For everyone._

* * *

In the present day, Thanatos (21) is a junior, while Zagreus (19) is a sophomore.

Hell University, as they realized during their studies there, is a place where pretty much everybody is mature enough not to take pleasure in badgering those with different tastes, orientations, looks or gender identities. So everyone is comfortable with each other and with pretty much any matter, just the way it is in Olympus University. 

Ah, yes. _Olympus University._

_Before we get to that part, something else should be mentioned first. Along the past few years, many important things occurred and changed in everyone's lives. First of all (and probably the one with the most significance), Persephone returned. Zagreus did his damnedest to track her down (as soon as he learned the truth about his parentage, that is), then ran away from home on his own, traveled miles across four entire states and found his mother working on a farm, planting crops and digging the ground somewhere in the middle of nowhere._

_A land between heaven and hell, as Persephone herself liked to call it._

_Once the female saw him, she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Neither did she understand. Zagreus greeted her with a shaky voice and after he explained himself (Persephone thinking he was lying, at first, to which Zagreus showed her a picture of her that Hades kept all these years), their reunion was heartfelt and filled with countless tears. It took a long time for Persephone to stop peppering her son's cheeks with kisses while muttering relieved praises to the gods over and over, as it took for Zagreus to let go of her now that he found her after all this time. It took some persuasion, but Persephone agreed to come back with him. To her home... and to her husband._

_Hades was... shocked, to say the least. The dean sent police forces all over to look for his runaway son, but to see the youth come home with his mother in tow out of all things... The elder man was utterly baffled. He couldn't even bring himself to talk, eyeing the woman he missed for so long with fondness and pain in his gaze, unsure of what he could say. He felt guilty, after all, for everything that transpired between them. Persephone did the talking for him. "Cerberus!" She smiled, greeting the household's dog first of all. Cerberus, a huge German Shepherd with hair predominantly red, was the trusty guardian of the house of Hades and Persephone's most beloved pet._

_Hades couldn't help but sigh._

_Persephone ended up talking it out with him, much to Zagreus' own delight. After the woman came home, Hades became much more agreeable and he was genuinely making efforts to mend his relationship with his son. It was harder to try and mend the relationship with Demeter, however, since the woman insisted her daughter comes visit her as often as possible, but it was a preferable option to having the old witch come over instead. At least for Hades._

_Persephone was the first between the two of them to find out about Zagreus' orientation and she offered her son nothing but pure, unconditional support. She was also the only one to learn about Zagreus' crush on Thanatos, a secret she treasured dearly since it meant her son trusted her enough to let her know about it. It didn't mean she wouldn't tease him about it, though. It was all in the spirit of fun._

_Nyx couldn't believe her eyes when the younger woman crossed her doorstep and greeted her with tears in her eyes. It was honestly a miracle and the elder felt as if she, too, was about to cry. Nyx could feel the pinpricks of tears behind her eyelids, but she didn't let them fall. She was too preoccupied welcoming Persephone back and asking her about everything the younger woman was up to in all these years she had been away._

_The second important thing was that Zagreus learned about the existence of his distant relatives. Which, ironically, weren't that distant after all. A few streets away from Hell University laid a different institution, named Olympus University. The said institution was ruled by dean Zeus, Hades' younger brother and Zagreus' uncle, and it was packed with all sorts of people Zagreus had never seen in his life before._

_The majority of them being relatives of his, apparently._

_Zagreus knew that as soon as he found out about Olympus University, he would feel the need to go there and meet those relatives he heard so many things about. Curiosity had always been an issue for him. Thanatos, who was always the voice of logic between the two of them, tried to stop him on multiple occasions, but seeing how excited Zagreus was getting was enough for the elder's reasoning to go to waste. If Zagreus wanted to go, then that's how it was going to be._

_Even if Thanatos didn't like it when Zag was gone._

_After Zagreus actually made it to Olympus and met most of his family, he felt as if he could solve the issue between Hades and the rest of the relatives. Hades wasn't too keen on interacting with his brothers, let alone with their children, so getting him to make an effort for it was damn near impossible. To make matters harder, Zagreus (who paid his own college fees for the sake of not letting his father have any power over him) received a scholarship offer from his uncle, who was inviting him to join Olympus University in the Sports major and come train with the best coach in the state._

_Heracles._

_Zagreus felt absolutely thrilled. He wanted to take the offer so bad, but Hades was having none of it. The dean wasn't going to let his son go to Zeus' University as if his own meant nothing to Zagreus, so that was certainly out of the question. As Zagreus was pouring his frustrations over to Than, he realized he would make a mistake if he left Hell University, after all. Why? Because, as he looked at the understanding (yet sad way) Than looked at him when he ranted, Zagreus figured out he would leave so many people behind, people he cared for dearly._

_Achilles, for example, who trained him ever since Zagreus was little. What would the coach say if he heard Zagreus, his most trusted student, was leaving to train with Heracles instead just because the guy was considered famous? The poor man's heart would be broken, truly. But now, who is Zagreus kidding? Aside from Achilles and all of the other friends he had here..._

_He would be leaving Than alone._

_That argument certainly surpassed all others when it came Zagreus' decision about staying. After all, his love for Thanatos meant more to him than anything else. He ended up begrudgingly declining Zeus' offer, after which, by some strange, unexpected turn of events (in which Persephone also had a word or two to say and a grand family dinner to organize), Hades made peace with the rest of the family._

_However, what happened next was the biggest shock in everyone's lives._

_Hades and Zeus made the collective decision of uniting their universities. Of course, everyone was surprised by this turn of events, but at the same time, it was for the best. It took some planning, but after some arrangements and some expansions made to Hades' building, a lot of students from Olympus University came over to study in Hell instead. In exchange, Hades sent some of his own over to Olympus, but Zagreus remained in Hell University, together with Thanatos, his friends..._

_And suddenly a lot more of his troublesome relatives._

* * *

A few months later, every transferred students of the two universities settled in just fine in their new work environments.

The first person who had absolutely no issues getting accustomed to Hell Uni was the speedy, easily excitable journalist, Hermes. It may be because he was used to coming over a lot already considering his major and the constant need for gossip from all sources, but most people were willing to bet it was because he was finally able to spend most of his day at his beloved boyfriend's side.

After all, Charon (who was now majoring in Financial Studies and minoring in Economics) was a sight to behold despite his seemingly static area of expertise.

Despite being focused mostly on money as a job, Charon was pretty damn good-looking. Mute as he was, he was one handsome devil, both in face and body (even though his face wasn't as easily discernable due to the painting he wore). Big as a bear, with defined muscles, strong and with an intense, purple gaze demanding respect despite his predicament, the man was truly amazing, even if a lot of the other students were scared of getting near him due to his usual, cold behavior. Hermes appreciated him for all he was and even if the elder had a special love for painting his face to look like a badass skull or smoking specially-made cigarettes whose smoke was all purple, the journalist never judged him for it. After all, in Hermes' eyes, Charon looked _amazing_ no matter what he liked or didn't.

Artemis (majoring in Animal Science) initially didn't fit in much (what with her tendency to be solitary), but with the help of her girlfriend, Callisto (majoring in Environment Studies), she ended up being part of the group with the rest of her relatives and a bunch of Zagreus' friends from Hell. She wasn't much of a talker, that was for sure, but sometimes, hanging out around this big grew of crazy characters was doing wonders to her mental state (or made it worse, depending on what these fools did or didn't). Aphrodite (majoring in Sociology and minoring in Women's Studies) often teased Artemis about her reluctance to talk, or would sometimes openly flirt with Callisto just for the sake of driving Artemis mad and coax more 'hilarious' reactions out of her. _Gods be damned, this is why Artemis doesn't like people-_

Poseidon came over as a Marine Biology teacher and he was the kind of uncle who would crack jokes every five minutes for the sake of lightening the mood. Even though his intentions are among the purest, no one ever said his jokes were good, but hey, at least he tries, right? He would often talk Zag's ear off whenever he caught the man during a break, ranting about fishing or the waters and how much pollution affected them, but the youth couldn't bring himself to ruin his uncle's fun. Seeing the big oaf _sad_ would definitely break Zag's sensible heart. As for Athena, the young, headstrong and responsible woman came by as a substitute History teacher, accompanied by Dionysus, who somehow winded up as a Chemistry teacher himself. It was a wonder to everyone how come the guy never got fired for being _at least_ half drunk ninety-nine percent of the time, if not more.

Demeter, as much as she insisted she didn't want to visit, would sometimes drop in and talk to some of the students about her profession, which is Climatology. The elderly woman is highly respected by everyone due to her imposing presence and her age, but Zagreus still has a hard time feeling at ease around her, even if she _is_ his grandmother. She was never known for her kindness, after all. Chaos, Nyx's parent and Than's grandparent, was already an elderly Philosophy teacher in Hell University before Hades himself became the dean, but they looked nothing like the age they actually were. Zagreus would often find himself engaging in deep conversations with the teacher (in which he is secretly doing his best to guess how old they are, but utterly fails each time), who would usually be amused at the youth's thoughts regarding life and all its intricacies.

Zag isn't a philosopher, okay?

Now, among all these, the person who is _actually_ posing a real problem for Zagreus' mental state is none other than his very own cousin, _Ares_. The man (who happens to be a senior) is unfortunately majoring in the same domain as Thanatos is. Ares is studying Law for the sake of becoming a prosecutor, the thrill of the court and the conflict the job brings with itself seeming to appease to his strange tastes regarding violence of all kinds. Zagreus never understood why Ares had this deep appreciation for it, but he wasn't going to ask the elder anything (even if he is pretty sure Ares is a psychopath at best).

Even more so since Ares is _definitely_ hitting on Than.

_Zagreus couldn't even believe his eyes._ Ares was trailing after Thanatos everywhere like some sort of hunting hound walking after a wounded deer ever since he first came to Hell University and Thanatos was, for better or for worse, just _letting_ him do his thing without bringing it up. Zagreus was wondering, in his deeply hurt heart and mind, if Thanatos was actually _enjoying_ it, or if he was just faking his emotions for the sake of not hurting Ares' feelings. Sometimes, Than had a strange tendency of being too passive and kind for his own good and Zagreus truly hoped the elder knew what he was doing.

_At least for his own sake, if not for Zag's._

However, Zagreus was met with another problem now that he gave it some thought. Ares was... actually free to do as he pleased, after all, since it wasn't like Zag had any sort of special rights over Thanatos. Ares was older than Zag, more mature (even if Zagreus would never admit it) and probably smarter, too, considering he is in a Law major. So Thanatos wouldn't be mistaken to take an interest in him if it happened, knowing how much he appreciates intelligent people. Ares is also taller than Thanatos, which means he is way taller than Zagreus too (something Zagreus has always been complexed about), so all of these infuriating qualities his cousin had certainly weren't doing Zag any favors. Especially regarding his self-esteem, that is.

Zagreus didn't want to think too much about it, for the time being. After all, it would dampen his mood. But the more he would push the thought away, trying to occupy himself with other matters, the bigger the risk of Ares getting too buddy-buddy with Thanatos became. Zagreus was annoyed, for sure, but he couldn't just go up to his cousin and challenge him to some sort of strange duel for Thanatos' hand in marriage like it was back in the medieval times.

So all he could do was sit back, try to relax and _pray_ that Than wasn't going to fall for Ares' _obviously_ empty words.

Thanatos, on the other hand, saw Ares as nothing but a colleague and superior in his major, someone he respected. Certainly, he wasn't oblivious to the way the elder displayed his interest towards him, but Than wasn't going to reciprocate it or encourage Ares to go further than he already was. After all, Zagreus was the only one Thanatos had feelings for, even if he had no clue how his best friend felt about him. This silent longing he felt was probably not at all healthy for his psyche, but alas... Thanatos couldn't brush his love for the youth away, either. This nagging feeling had been with him since a long time ago, so there was no way he was simply going to forget about it as if it meant nothing to him in the end.

At that particular time of the day, Thanatos was enjoying a small lunchbreak from his usual courses, having a cup of black coffee in the college cafeteria. He wasn't doing anything else per-se, simply sipping from the dark liquid as he allowed his mind to wander wherever it would please. At his side, Megaera and Dusa were chatting about the latest fashion news, though Thanatos was tuning them both out as he stared emptily towards a small, random spot on a wall he was facing. However, as he stood there, a memory from a year or so ago came up to Than's mind, one that had to do with one of the women sitting next to him right at that moment.

Megaera (majoring in Criminal Justice, minoring in Law with Thanatos), to be more exact.

_It was a warm summer day and Thanatos, who was a sophomore at the time, was in the local park, sitting on one of the swings made for children as he enjoyed the soft breeze brushing over his skin and rustling the leaves of the trees around. He was alone, the park being desolated, kids being in school while their parents had no other reason to come by without the toddlers dragging them there to play. Sometimes, the squeaking of the old seesaw near him would make Thanatos frown in displeasure, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He has a sibling like Hypnos after all, so the seesaw was far more agreeable than having to deal with his twin's incessant chattering. It was peaceful._

_Yet unluckily for him, Thanatos was once again struggling to settle his uncertainties._

_Back then, Than was painfully aware that the feelings he had for Zagreus were passing the threshold of nothing but good friendship at a more than alarming rate. Each time he would think about the youth, Than could feel his heart doing leaps in his chest and his face redden slightly, which was troubling considering Zagreus popped up in his mind far more than he was supposed to. These feelings were hard to deal with for someone as anxious as Thanatos, because the uncertainty of what Zagreus felt towards him in return was eating him alive from the inside. Not to mention Thanatos' small (but still there) temptation to just come clean about what he felt that caused his anxieties to skyrocket regarding the type of answer Zagreus would give him._

_All in all, Thanatos was a mess._

_And as he stood there, deep in thought, Than failed to sense when someone walked over and invited themselves to take a seat at his side, on the swing that was a pair of his own. He only registered it when the said person spoke up, the greeting jolting him right out of his unaware state. "Hey, Than." It was none other than the very subject of his current troubles, who seemed bummed out about something, his shoulders slumping slightly as he looked over at the elder with a slightly saddened gaze. Thanatos sighed, "Hey, Zag..."_

_Zagreus didn't say anything else for a while. He looked ahead, placed his hands on the chains of the swing and fiddled with the metal hoops idly, as if he was trying to find his words and let Thanatos know what was wrong. Than could tell Zagreus didn't feel well given his outward reactions, so it was a given the youth had to explain himself to his best friend, no? "I... broke up with Meg today." Zagreus started, his words barely above a murmur. Thanatos didn't look at him, settling for eyeing the ground and the tips of his shoes as he dragged one of them against the sand beneath for the lack of something better to do._

_Thanatos knew Zagreus was in a relationship with Megaera. He was well aware of it, because it pained him greatly even if he wasn't going to let Zagreus know anything about his feelings. Zag was bi, so he had every right to date a woman if he felt the need to. It wasn't like Thanatos could order him not to see anybody just because he himself was too much of a coward to come clean about what he felt. However, as the youth's best friend, he had a duty. He had to comfort Zagreus, even if on the inside, Thanatos was thanking the gods above for this wonderful occasion. He felt relieved, truly, but... also guilty for being so selfish. "...I'm sorry." Thanatos murmured in return, stealing a glance at Zagreus just to see how the other was faring._

_Zagreus was now looking towards the sky, watching the fluffy clouds above passing by lazily in a slow rhythm. He hummed, "Nah... You don't have to feel sorry for me. It was something me and Meg settled for together, after all. Things just weren't... working out, you know? I wouldn't have made her put up with someone as insufferable as me for more than she would've liked." Zagreus explained, his tone seeming pretty unaffected the more he spoke. Thanatos frowned when Zag said that, because he could tell his friend saw himself as insufferable most likely because Meg called him so, at one point. "I know I can piss off people... I am pretty damn good at it, haha. My father, my teachers... maybe even you, Than. I can't help but make people go insane." Zagreus chuckled sadly, closing his eyes as another soft breeze blew by the two of them, rustling his dark hair gently._

_'If only you knew how insane I am about you, Zag...' Thanatos thought, but kept it all to himself. Without much more consideration, he straightened his pose, looked at Zag with a serious gaze and hissed, "Megaera is wrong, Zagreus." That earned him a surprised look from the youth, who jolted a little at the fire behind Than's words, unsure of what was up with the unusual tone. He knew better than to interrupt Thanatos once he started speaking though, so Zagreus just blinked silently, as if telling Than to continue with what he wanted to say. Thanatos, realizing he now had Zag's full attention, tried to keep himself composed despite how angry he was at Meg and the way she made Zagreus feel about himself, continuing his speech. "You aren't an insufferable person. You are just really wild and unpredictable, but if she couldn't handle it... it's her loss. You're different. Don't... don't go thinking you are a bother because of it." Thanatos said, matter-of-factly._

_Zagreus' eyes widened a little. He wasn't expecting Thanatos to say such nice words about him, but it certainly brought a flush up to his face in that moment. After all, he tried dating Megaera mostly to escape his feelings for the elder, so hearing Than say that... Zagreus was torn on what to believe. Thanatos couldn't like someone as hard to deal with as he was... Zagreus would be a fool to think the elder would. Than was just being nice because they are friends, nothing more. He was always nice to Zagreus, after all. "...Thank you, Than. Truly." Zagreus began, a smile coming to his lips even if on the inside, the pain of reality was making his heart ache. "You're really my best friend ever, mate." He added, hoping Thanatos understood how grateful he was for the comfort._

_'Friend'... Yeah. That's right. Thanatos is nothing more than a good friend for Zagreus, only there to offer him a shoulder to cry on after a bad breakup. "Glad to be of service." Thanatos replied, trying to sound as nice as he could despite the way his heart felt as if it got stabbed right through at the use of that wretched word._

_Little did Zagreus know how much that entire event hurt Thanatos at the time._

"Your coffee will run cold if you keep admiring the wall, Thanatos." Megaera's low voice broke Than out of his trance, bringing him back to the present. The man looked over at her with a curious gaze, as if silently asking her what she wanted, to which Meg replied, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I wanted to ask if you have the notes for Zeus' Law course by any chance. I missed out on it last time because of a dentist appointment." She explained, Thanatos nodding in return before he downed the rest of his (now lukewarm) coffee for the sake of getting rid of it. He motioned for Meg to wait a second, before he rummaged through the suitcase at his side and handed her a black notebook. "Thanks. I owe you." Megaera muttered, putting the notebook away before she got up and fixed her ponytail, walking away to her own course of the day. However, she stopped in her tracks, looking over her shoulder before adding, "Don't forget about the movie tonight. Everyone's gonna be there." With that, Megaera left.

Oh... the movie night. Thanatos forgot about that, what with how busy he was. Once a month, their group gathered at Zagreus' place for a movie since the house was the biggest between theirs. It was a night where they would just enjoy themselves and take a break from college issues, as well as life in general. It wasn't unusual for the said event to be a tad loud at times considering people like Dionysus (who came by just because Zag offered drinks and he wanted to be 'cool with the kids') and Hermes dropped by too, but Thanatos didn't mind it much. Sure, he wasn't the type to enjoy social events, but he could tolerate having to put up with them if the company wasn't too bad. 

_Especially since Zagreus was there._

Dusa (majoring in Administration studies, a young woman with short, green hair and a cute face) was now left all alone with Thanatos, a flush of shyness coming over her pale cheeks as silence settled over the two of them. Even if she and Thanatos were actually friends, it was still pretty awkward for the female to be all alone with a guy, so she couldn't help but fidget with the hem of her frilly dress as Thanatos busied himself with organizing the files in his suitcase. After a bit of steeling herself to speak, Dusa stammered in her slightly hissy tone, "U-Uhm... Thanatos?" She started, Thanatos humming in return to show he was paying attention even if he was still busy with the files. "I-I don't know if i-it is of much importance to you, b-but I saw Zagreus sulking all a-alone a little bit earlier and I, uh... I-I thought you could help him out s-since you are his best friend!" She explained, Thanatos' hands freezing in their movement for a little as Dusa continued, "S-Sorry if you didn't want to know! I'll be on my way!" Excusing herself, Dusa got up from the table and scurried off somewhere, leaving Thanatos alone to wonder.

_Just what happened to Zagreus this time around?_

* * *

In the end, Thanatos settled for checking in on Zagreus when they met for the movie night.

It wasn't really his choice. He just got too caught up in his courses and the pressure of presenting his assignments that he didn't get the time to drop by the college gym and check on how Zagreus was feeling. Thanatos felt guilty, but it couldn't be helped. Zagreus would surely understand if he explained it. 

Anyway, as evening rolled by, the group (which was made out of Than, Meg, Dusa, Hermes, Charon, Artemis, Callisto, Hypnos (current college librarian, he changed his major at least eight times but he has enough credits not to be kicked out), Aphrodite, Ares and Dionysus) met up in front of Hades' imposing mansion. Just like usual, Zagreus invited them in and led them to the movie room, where a huge plasma display was neatly installed on the wall, two large speakers at its sides and some gaming consoles laying on a shelf beneath. A small coffee table in front of the large couch inside the room was the only place they could put food and drinks on and you best bet it was packed to the max with snacks and beverages of all kinds. After all, pretty much everyone in the room aside from Charon, Than and Ares were big on snacking (especially Hermes, who would wolf the food down at top speed and somehow _still_ not get fat).

Now, about Ares, Zagreus was never too eager to invite his cousin to the movie night he hosted, but Aphrodite managed to convince him on Ares' behalf. Zagreus didn't necessarily hate the man, but he couldn't help the dislike he held for the elder regarding the way Ares was flirting with Than. Call him petty, but Zagreus feels envious of Ares, so it was hard to keep his emotions in check when staying around the guy. The best he could do was simply not pay him much mind and see to other matters, not looking to cause a scene.

"Heeeey, Zag maaan?" Dionysus' lazy voice echoed in the room, catching Zagreus' attention as the youth replied with a hum. "Do you have any of that strong stuff you did last time? Man, I swear to you, it tasted like honest-to-gods _ambrosia!_ I don't know where your old man gets his drinks from, but _damn_ , he needs to drop the name of his dealer~" The older man laughed, making Zagreus and some of the other chuckle too. Zag just grinned, "It tastes like ambrosia because it _is_ ambrosia, Dionysus, mate. But I don't think Father would let you know where he got it from. Even I don't know!" He laughed, but Dionysus was busy gaping like a fish out of the water at the truth about the drink's actual nature, his reaction earning laughter from a bunch of the other people around.

After a bit more chattering and joking about, everyone settled in their places for the evening. Artemis and Callisto were cuddling at the end of the couch (earning small, fake scoffs of disgust at their affection from Meg, who was sitting all alone on the recliner at the side, not wanting to share her space with any of these fools), Charon sitting in the middle of it since he was taking up the most space size-wise. Hermes was sitting in his boyfriend's lap (happily nestled in the elder's embrace and with his head laying on Charon's shoulder) and Hypnos was dozing off at Charon's side, his head on Thanatos' shoulder. Dionysus sat on the floor and Dusa took the spot on the armrest of Meg's recliner, feeling safer to sit next to someone who wasn't prone on shifting a lot (she was the only one Meg would like to sit next to). Than was seated next to Hypnos and the spot at his side was empty at the time, which Ares noticed with much delight, already making his way over. "I see this spot is not taken, Th-" 

But unluckily for him, Zagreus just got there to stay in his way.

"Ah, thanks for saving me a spot on the couch, Than!" The youth grinned happily, running up to the place before plopping down next to Thanatos, Ares frowning slightly while Than just raised an eyebrow. ' _No you don't._ ' Zagreus proudly thought as he looked up at Ares, a bowl of popcorn in his hands. His cousin huffed, displeasure visible in his features. " _Ah._ You should've let me know, Thanatos. I will sit with Aphrodite, then." He informed, begrudgingly walking away, leaving Zagreus to mentally cheer about this small victory against the elder as Ares joined Aphrodite's side on the carpeted ground.

_Zag may have won a battle, but the was was far from ending._

As the movie started, the group paid attention to the screen, munching on their snacks and trying to understand the action. Well, _most of them_ did, anyway. Aside from Hypnos (who was sleeping right from the get-go), Thanatos and Zagreus were having a hard time focusing on the film, their proximity to one another making it difficult for the both of them. Since the couch got pretty packed up, Than was pressed against Zag's side, even more so with Hypnos leaning on him with his entire weight now that he was deeply asleep. The way their thighs were glued to one another and their arms were touching from shoulder to elbow made both of their hearts race, even if they tried to play it off cool. Thanatos was pretending to watch the movie, but each small move Zag would make to adjust his pose on the couch made his heart tremble and his hands clench into fists at his sides.

Zagreus was no better, either. Being this close to the guy he was head over heels for, with no one looking at the two of them, was honestly making him a bit lightheaded. He felt as if he was in some sort of cliché college drama where he was seated next to his crush too close to be comfortable.

Oh, wait. That's actually how it is.

Stealing a glance over at Than's face, Zagreus' heart sped up in his chest. The elder was just as beautiful as usual, all serious and composed even during activities made for the sake of relaxing. Zagreus thought it was adorable that Than didn't know how to take it easy, finding it endearing that the other was dedicated to his work and studies to the extent where he would give it his all as if his life depended on it. At that moment, Zagreus felt the sudden urge to reach a hand out and caress Than's cheek, let him know how much he likes him and appreciates him as a person, but he tuned it down, aware it would be creepy of him to do something like that out of the blue (especially since they are nothing else but _friends_ ). What is he even thinking?

Thanatos was eyeing the screen of the TV in silence, but the light the device provided at some particular scenes offered Zagreus a proper view of the tone the male's skin had. Was Than... _blushing?_

Ah, there goes Zagreus getting his hopes up again. Than is probably just feeling hot (why did he even take a turtleneck sweater to an evening inside anyway?), so that's why his face is slightly red, nothing more. The more he gazed at Thanatos, the more Zagreus found himself wondering... _How would it feel if he could trail his fingers along Than's throat? Follow them with his lips, mark the elder as his own, let him know how much he means to Zag-_

Zagreus shifted a little in his seat, cutting that train of thought short, lest he wants to get himself a certain issue that would put his whole friendship with Thanatos in complete jeopardy. It would be beyond creepy if he popped a damn _boner_ just from _looking_ at his best friend. He sighed silently and averted his gaze as he flushed, unaware of the way Thanatos looked at him as soon as he could tell Zagreus was looking away. Golden eyes, filled with love and bitter longing, were pinned on Zagreus secretly, taking in his image and admiring how handsome he looked despite being slightly disheveled from feeling comfortable in his own house. In fact, Thanatos thought Zagreus looked even better like this, because it felt as if Zag was being... _natural_ , in a way. And the flush Zagreus had on his face was making Thanatos wonder if he felt hot, but he wasn't going to ask about it and risk letting the youth figuring out about his weird ogling.

_Thanatos is so in love with him it makes him want to cry._

As the movie went on, Thanatos could feel the exhaustion of the day washing over him like an entire ocean crashing forth all at once. His eyelids grew heavy, his mind was no longer keeping up with the movie (not that he was paying much attention to it anyway with how busy he was eyeing Zag the entire time) and the small, peaceful snores Hypnos was letting out at his side were not helping out in the slightest, either. Thanatos closed his eyes, lying to himself that he'll rest them just a little, without realizing that he leaned against Zagreus in the meantime, head placed on the shorter male's shoulder.

Zagreus froze. Seeing Than, the prettiest man alive, place his head on his shoulder and sleep so peacefully made him burn up with embarrassment, but he didn't dare move an inch, didn't dare even _breathe_ for a good while. He was afraid he would startle Thanatos from his slumber and Zagreus knew just how much Than needed the rest. 

It was no wonder he himself ended up dozing off a little later, leaning against Thanatos, enjoying the contact between them. This was embarrassing, yes, but Zag could worry about it tomorrow. 

Even more so since Hypnos took a picture when he and Than were unaware of it.

* * *

"I will _end_ you." Thanatos growled, brows furrowed together tight as Hypnos grinned lazily at him from behind the counter in the library. His twin was showing him a photo of him and Zagreus sleeping together peacefully on the couch and Thanatos was blushing like crazy, earning amused chuckles from Hypnos in return. "Aw, c'mon, Thanatos~ Look at how cute you guys are! I'll definitely have to send this over to Meg and Dusa and-" Hypnos shut up in an instant when Thanatos grabbed him by the collar and stared him down with the heat of a thousand suns behind those golden eyes of his, looking as if he was one second away from tearing his twin apart piece by piece and bury his body where no one would ever find him. "J-Jeez, okay, okay! Calm down, I won't let anyone else see it..."

" _Delete it, Hypnos._ " Thanatos hissed, making Hypnos whine.

"But don't you like it?? I mean, you like Zagreus- I had a picture with Megaera too back when we were still dating and I know that she was sleeping and I just took a picture with her, but still, I liked it! Don't be picky!" He groaned. 

"You and Megaera _never_ dated." 

"H-Hey! First, that's not true and second, you get my point!" 

Thanatos wanted to scream. Hypnos sighed and pouted when his brother let him go, tapping on his phone to erase the evidence of that night and show Thanatos he kept his word. The elder sighed deeply in relief before taking a hold of his suitcase's handle, turning on his heel and making his way to the course he had now that he settled this issue.

_Nobody said Hypnos didn't have copies, though._

* * *

"I just can't-" _Kick._ "Seem to-" _Punch._ "Get what he's-" _Two kicks._ "Thinking, sir!"

Zagreus was training for his kickboxing with Achilles, the two of them being the only ones in the gym at that time. The coach was silently watching a very sweaty and annoyed Zagreus repeatedly strike the punching bag, listening to the youth's frustrations regarding his relationship with Thanatos. Achilles was no stranger to Zagreus' feelings towards his best friend considering the younger man let him know about it ahead of time, claiming he found a trustworthy guardian in him, so he was aware of the issue Zagreus was struggling with. Even if he couldn't offer Zagreus a magic solution that would solve all his problems, at least Achilles was there for the sake of aiding him with advice since the young athlete put a great deal of trust in him. "Mm... I see." 

Zagreus stopped his strikes, panting for breath, slouching over as he placed his hands on his knees for support. "I just... Like him a lot... And I don't know... How to tell him since... I don't want our friendship to get ruined..." Zag muttered, his sentence breaking off whenever he wheezed. Achilles hummed, thinking about it for a bit, searching for the right words before he spoke, "I can see why you are worried about it, lad. You care for Thanatos dearly given that you two have been friends since you were nothing but toddlers. But then again... I also think it would be worth it to take a risk from time to time." The coach explained, making Zagreus look up at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

Achilles smiled, "I may be talking just based off of my own experiences, but I, too, risked everything for love, once. Pat and I, we had a very complicated relationship. When he moved from our city, claiming he needed to escape, we weren't yet married, and I didn't want to go with him even if I loved him dearly. Mostly because I had a job already and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find employment over here." He said, pulling out the hair tie from his ponytail, brushing a hand through his messy locks to work out any stray knots. "One day, I found myself missing him terribly, so I called the number he offered me to see what he was up to. The person who answered me was his roommate at the time, who informed me Patroclus got caught in an accident that almost costed him his life." At that, Zagreus looked at the elder with compassion, sighing softly. "If you don't feel comfortable continuing with this, sir, I wouldn't hold it against you..."

Achilles shook his head. "Don't worry." He reassured. Zagreus nodded, motioning for the coach to continue as he took a seat at the older man's side on the bench to drink some water and rest. "Hearing that, the world came crumbling around me. I... I love Patroclus more than everything else, so I was furious at myself for not wishing to join his side when he left back then. He told me once, ' _Risk it all_ ', and when I heard about the accident, I dropped everything and did just that. My job, my past, everything I knew about myself, I threw them all away and went to see him. Now look at us, married, with me training wonderful people such as yourself and him doing his hobby and earning a living off of it. I couldn't be happier." Achilles hummed, looking at his side at Zagreus to see what the man had to say.

Zag was moved by Achilles' story, but he still had one more concern he wanted to address. "I get what you are saying, sir... But unlike you, who already had a relationship with mister Patroclus, I don't know if Thanatos feels the same about me. All I know is that he likes men and he... _tolerates_ me, I guess?" Zagreus sighed, his worries seeping through to the surface. Achilles pat his back comfortingly and smiled, trying to reassure him once again.

"I have my reasons to believe Thanatos likes you more than you think, lad." 

* * *

"So I made him delete it... I couldn't let that fool share such an embarrassing picture with our friends." Thanatos sighed, sipping from his cup of tea.

Patroclus listened to him carefully, the two of them sitting together at the small table the florist had in front of his flower shop. He made some tea for this occasion and (even if he didn't necessarily know who Thanatos was referring to when mentioning the name 'Hypnos'), Patroclus could tell he meant a lot to the youth. Maybe Hypnos is Thanatos' brother, or at least that's what Patroclus gathered so far from their chat. "Maybe I was harsh with him, but he has a very special talent of pissing me off at times..." Thanatos continued, Patroclus sipping from his own cup before humming.

"So you didn't want the picture with you and this boy, Zagreus, sleeping against each other to be seen by others." He said, Thanatos nodding in return. "It's understandable considering your feelings towards him, stranger." The florist stated, Thanatos flushing slightly at being called out for it.

Thanatos couldn't understand for the life of him how Patroclus figured he had a deep crush on Zag, but then again, the florist was the husband of Zagreus' personal coach, so maybe it had something to do with that. Anyway, as they stood there, Thanatos felt inclined to ask the other for some advice, given that Patroclus was already married to the man he loved and could probably offer Than some insight on his own situation. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking..." He started, Patroclus raising an eyebrow curiously. "What do you think I could do in this situation?" 

Patroclus, understanding what Thanatos was talking about, offered him a slight smile of reassurance before he said one simple thing, one he said to another certain someone a long time ago. " _Risk it all._ " He hummed, the words sounding extremely important coming off from someone with the amount of life experience he possessed. Thanatos understood the implications of the phrase, even if it was a lot for him to attempt considering his anxieties and the crippling fear of losing Zagreus' friendship. He wasn't sure he was ever going to do so, but... he appreciated the advice nonetheless. And what Patroclus said next gave him hope.

"You never know how this Zagreus boy might feel about you, stranger."

* * *

A few weeks later, Zagreus invited Hypnos and Thanatos over at his place for a sleepover. It wasn't unusual considering they have been doing it since they were kids. He would've invited Charon too, but Thanatos informed him the elder would be spending his night over at Hermes' place (supposedly 'working' on some papers and assignments together, but everyone knew they were banging), so he couldn't drop by like he used to in the past. 

What was new about the sleepovers from now, though, were the unspoken, deep feelings between Than and Zag. Hypnos was happy Zagreus invited them over since Hades had the best, comfiest beds ever to sleep in, but unlike him and his simple reasons of joy, Thanatos was pretty damn anxious. The elder was worried he will embarrass himself around Zagreus, but then again... he couldn't just say no, either.

_It would make Zagreus sad._

That's how Thanatos found himself inside Zagreus' room now, together with Hypnos and Zagreus himself. Hypnos and Zag were playing a game together on Zagreus' console, while Thanatos was skimming through a random magazine about sports gear that he found laying on Zag's floor, sometimes glancing at what the other two were doing. He was wearing a plain, black T-shirt and comfy pants, a strange change from the usual, formal wear, but at least Than felt nice like this, so he didn't have complaints. "Take that!" Hypnos laughed, releasing a blue shell in front of Zagreus' vehicle in the relationship-breaker game, Mario Kart. He was wearing pajamas that featured a simple eye pattern (the eyes were alternating between closed and open) and with those on, he seemed right in his element (the element of being able to fall asleep no matter where he was or what time it was). Zagreus groaned as he was sent off-course, struggling to quickly get back on track as he cursed, " _Blood and Darkness, Hypnos, how the hell are you so good at this??_ You spend ninety percent of your day asleep, when do you have time to play, mate?"

Hypnos just laughed.

Thanatos was never a big fan of video games, but he did enjoy watching those two play them together. It was amusing, to say the least, especially when Zag would get frustrated at how easily Hypnos won a lot of the time. Zag's reasoning was logical after all, how did Hypnos win when he barely played a game? No matter, it isn't Thanatos' concern. As the other two played, Than found himself looking down at his hands, realizing his black nail polish started peeling off, so he would have to redo it soon. Good thing he has his small manicure set with him for such occasions, huh. 

Thanatos removed the leftover polish and made quick work of cutting and filing his nails. He was efficient in his work just as he was in everything else, so no wonder he finished early. He was just about to get to the polish when Hypnos suddenly spoke up, " _Gaaah_ , I need some food and I gotta use the bathroom- Pause, I'll be back!" He informed, hurrying out of the room, leaving Thanatos alone with Zagreus in an awkward amount of silence. 

_'Thanks a lot, Hypnos.'_ Than thought sarcastically.

After a few moments, Zagreus shifted and turned around, facing Than properly on the bed. Seeing what the elder was fiddling with, he hummed curiously, "What are you up to there?" Thanatos looked down at the small bottle of black nail polish before he showed it to Zagreus, thinking it pretty self-explanatory. What he didn't expect, however, was for Zag's eyes to light up excitedly at the sight of the small object, Thanatos raising an eyebrow in question before Zagreus grinned, "Can I help? I have nothing better to do until Hypnos comes back, so maybe I can offer you a free nail salon day. What do you say, Than?" The youth asked, hoping Thanatos would agree.

The elder didn't see any particular reason to say no. Sure, maybe Zagreus would make a mess and get his nail polish everywhere, but Thanatos was never able to deny Zagreus anything before. This wasn't a special case, even if he cares a lot about his polish too. "Do as you like." Thanatos said, making Zagreus smile happily as he picked the nail polish bottle from him and began fiddling with the cap to get the small brush out. Thanatos held his hand out, only to freeze and for his heart to skip a beat when Zagreus took the gentlest hold of it, the touch of their skin making both of them flush. 

Zagreus gulped silently and began working on doing Than's nails, the awkward silence from before returning. He wanted to try and crack a joke of some sort, maybe lighten up the mood and get out of this predicament, but he found that he was utterly lacking in the entertainment department at the current time. But as he painted Than's nails slowly, Zagreus remembered what Achilles said all of a sudden and he realized he could probably try to use this time to tell Thanatos how he feels, once and for all. They are alone, Thanatos seems relaxed enough, so aside from him getting utterly rejected and maybe losing his best friend, what else could go wrong? "Hey, Than?" Zagreus began, earning a small hum of acknowledgement from the elder man, who was busy looking at everything else inside the room _but_ Zagreus.

It's now or never. Zagreus needs to say it, get it off his chest. Stopping his work on painting Than's nails for a bit so he could look over at the elder, Zagreus noticed that Thanatos was flushing slightly, though he thought that maybe the other man was embarrassed about his nails being done by someone else or something. Even so, Thanatos was still breathtaking. The older man looked over at him shortly afterwards, Zagreus still holding his hand close as the nail polish already on the nails of it was busy drying for the time being and he squeezed it just a little in his own, making Thanatos bite the inside of his cheek due to how nervous he was. What was up with Zagreus now? "I wanted to say something I have been trying to say for a while... " Zagreus started, voice soft and smooth as he leaned closer to Than, their noses almost touching. Thanatos was pretty sure his heart was racing a mile a minute at that point. " I li-"

"Heeeeey guys, I'm back~!" Hypnos suddenly barged inside the room with a bright, but sleepy, grin and a few bags of chips in his arms, looking over at the other two. Of course, Thanatos almost jumped out of his skin as he pulled away from Zagreus as if the younger man burnt him or something, while Zagreus himself jolted in shock, both of them eyeing Hypnos with surprise that was slowly morphing into anger. "Wha- Did I interrupt something?" Hypnos hummed, painfully oblivious to stepping in right when Zagreus wanted to confess.

_'Thanks a lot, Hypnos.'_ It was Zagreus' turn to think, before they all went back to what they were doing before, Thanatos finishing painting his nails on his own and being left to wonder what Zagreus wanted to say.

* * *

After the sleepover, Zagreus was ten times more awkward around Thanatos.

A couple more months of this awkwardness passed, the horrible tension of exams dispersing too as they came and went. Spring break was nearing in and one day, Dionysus invited everyone over for a party at a pretty chill club nearby campus. Zagreus was eager to go, so he told the Chemistry teacher and the rest of their friends to count him in, but Thanatos didn't feel too keen about attending such an event. He wasn't the social type and a club would be far out of his comfort zone.

Not to mention he would most likely wind up with his car full of drunken college students singing the most atrocious tunes known to man and giving him a headache twice the size of the worst hangover.

Thanatos had work to do for his Law courses, assignments he was given as the leader of the Debate Club and a bunch of other small chores he took upon himself around the house to ease his mother's workload. He couldn't just spend time out at some club only to watch his friends do stupid things they will later regret while being drunk or play babysitter for them together with poor Athena. 

So how in the blazes did he let himself be dragged over to this charade by a very excited Hypnos, Thanatos had absolutely no clue.

The club was pretty full by the time he and his twin made it over, having brought Zagreus and Charon with them as well by Than's car. Their friends were already in and the music was booming around them by the time Dionysus greeted them all. "Good to have you all here, mates! The party's just getting started, so go ahead, mingle with the rest! There's some really decent guys around this club, so no worries, you'll all be just fine~ I'm talking about you, Thanatos and Artemis. Our personal shy people~" Dionysus teased, earning a glare from Thanatos and a roll of the eyes from Artemis. They separated, everyone going in pairs for the most part, but somehow, Zagreus winded up alone. 

_And to top it all off, Ares caught Thanatos again._

Zagreus looked from afar as Ares was, once again, shamelessly flirting with Thanatos a few feet away from him. Ares, who was now well aware of Zagreus' feelings for Thanatos, noticed his cousin's icy glares and eyed him with a teasing look of his own, as if silently telling him ' _I am going to win this_ '. Zagreus couldn't do anything but grit his teeth and clench his fists, before he decided he was going to have a drink, unless he wants to go crazy with rage towards Ares and towards his own inability to tell Thanatos what he feels once and for all. 

Zagreus ordered a cocktail with rum and coke before taking a seat on a stool at the club's bar. He knew the beverage was pretty strong and he wasn't much of a drinker to begin with, but as long as he doesn't exaggerate, he should be fine, maybe tipsy at best. And tipsy sounded really nice given how angry he felt. Behind him, on the small stage where the bands usually performed, a karaoke event began, not that Zag paid it much mind. As he sipped from his drink, frustration washed over him once again, thoughts about Ares and how he was hitting on Than all the time flooding his mind. That bastard was certainly overconfident just because he was older.

The more he thought about it, the more Zagreus drank from his glass. How Ares was better than him, how the guy was able to express his affections towards Thanatos without worrying the way Zagreus did... Zagreus resented his cousin for it. But as the pleasant burn of the alcohol started settling in his body, he gained more courage about the situation and he suddenly found himself filled with determination. 

_He was going to finally confess to Thanatos._

How, was the question that popped in his head next. Zagreus may have gotten a confidence boost from his drink, but he wasn't confident enough to just waltz over to Than and Ares and let his cousin know exactly what he thinks of him while telling Thanatos how much he loves him. That would be ridiculous and could potentially fuck up any possible chance Zagreus may or may not have with the man he loves the most. 

Then, it hit him. 

_Karaoke._

' _Risk it all._ ' Zagreus thought, getting up from his seat despite the slight dizziness he got from his earlier beverage. He was tipsy, that much was for sure, but he wasn't drunk or in a state where he couldn't walk straight or talk coherently. There was just a slight, pleasant buzz inside of his body that made him painfully confident all of a sudden, so he was going to make the best out of it. Making his way towards the stage, he noticed a familiar face skillfully strumming a guitar up on it and a grin came over his lips.

_This was going to work wonderfully._

A thing not many people know about Zagreus is that he _can_ actually sing. He can also play the guitar, but his voice is miles better when it comes to music in itself. During music courses with Mr. Orpheus and Mrs. Eurydice, Zagreus befriended Apollo, the best musician and artist he had ever seen in his life. Apollo was amazing at any sort of instrument he played and the paintings that came out of his hands were truly a sight to behold. Zag knew that he would be the best choice for a musical background for the song he had in mind. 

Thanatos noticed Zagreus climbing the scene of the club as soon as the younger man stepped onto it for the first time. It was almost as if he had some sensors going off in his head each time Zagreus was about to do something stupid. He tuned Ares out entirely and watched like a hawk with concern for a while, hoping from the bottom of his heart that Zagreus wasn't just going to embarrass himself because he drank who knows how much in the short amount of time they were here. Zag had a special penchant for getting himself in trouble after all, so what sort of insane mischief was he up to this time around? If he paid enough attention, Than could see the moment Zagreus whispered something to the guitarist with blond, long hair up on the stage, but he had no clue what it was from this distance and with this amount of noise. 

_A little while later, Thanatos ended up being shocked._

"Good evening, everyone." Zagreus greeted, his voice sounding just a little deeper than usual because of the burn the alcohol left behind in its journey towards the pits of his stomach. "My name's Zagreus and tonight, I'm going to sing _'From Eden'_ by Hozier. This song speaks to me, so I hope it will to you too." He paused, looking directly at Thanatos as he said that. " _Some of you hopefully more than others._ " Zag added, Thanatos raising an eyebrow in return. Ares poked his side a little to get his attention again, to which Thanatos jolted and sighed, turning to look at the elder as Ares went off about the latest cases he heard of in the national court.

In the end, Than couldn't care less. _Not when Zagreus began singing._

" _Babe,_ " Zag sang, his voice sounding _incredible_ accompanied by Apollo's gentle strumming. " _there's something tragic about you/Something so magic about you/Don't you agree?_ " As he sang, Zagreus didn't take his eyes off from Thanatos, his mismatched gaze being filled with emotion, his heart poured into the song. Thanatos' eyes widened in return as he caught the younger man's gaze, his own heart racing in his chest at the intensity with which Zagreus looked at him.

" _Babe, there's something lonesome about you/Something so wholesome about you/Get closer to me_ " As he sang the last verse, Zagreus offered Thanatos a wink, which definitely made the elder's heart skip a few beats, his face burning up in return. Ares was frowning since Thanatos stopped listening to him, but he had to admit, for all he was worth, Zagreus was truly putting up a great show. 

Curse that he himself wasn't able to sing, huh.

" _No tight side, no rolling eyes, no irony_ " Zagreus chanted, a soft smile on his lips, his voice curling over each word in the most melodious ways. " _No 'who cares', no vacant stares,_ " He remembered about all of the times Thanatos was there for him while growing up, supporting him unconditionally and never once turning away when Zagreus required his aid. " _no time for me_ " As he said the last verse, Zagreus' expression turned somewhat sour for a split moment, his gaze shifting towards Ares for a bit, as if to show Thanatos what he meant in this silent dialogue of theirs. 

_Thanatos suddenly felt guilty._

" _Honey you're familiar like my mirror years ago/Idealism sits prison, chivalry fell on it's sword_ " Zagreus smiled again, swaying slightly with the tune. " _Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know_ " Memories of the times he was struggled with coming out and getting bullied for it were flashing before Zagreus' eyes at that. The entire club was silent as they listened to his singing, even those who were drunk out of their minds being lulled by the beautiful tune. " _I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door_ " Another smile, soft and full of affection. Thanatos could suddenly feel his eyes water, because this... was this Zagreus' indirect way of telling him how he feels?

_Was Zagreus trying to confess?_

" _Babe, there's something wretched about this_ " Zagreus thought about how he still didn't let his father know about his feelings for Than. It somehow felt... forbidden, something Zagreus wasn't supposed to have, nor wish for. What would Hades think about it? About his son having feelings for another man? " _Something so precious about this_ " Yet regardless, Zagreus loved it all. He loved it, because it was Thanatos he had these strong feelings for, not someone whom Hades could immediately deem unworthy. " _Oh what a sin_ "

Thanatos felt his breath catch in his throat. The way Zagreus told all of this, the way he let him know about his struggles through song... The elder was on the verge of crying. Thanatos wasn't even a sensitive person, but when it came to Zagreus... His emotions were hard to handle.

" _To the strand a picnic plan for you and me/A rope in hand for your other man to hang from a tree_ " Once again Zagreus' gaze moved to Ares, a glare being directed towards the elder. Ares glared back, a few people whistling at the tension they could feel blooming between the two of them, but even he could tell Zagreus' song held much more meaning to Thanatos than met the eye. 

If Thanatos' soft smile was anything to go by, at least.

As Zagreus drew the tune to a finish, the club was silent for a while. He felt slightly nervous, as if he did something embarrassing now that the reality of it all washed over him. But little after, the entire place erupted in thunderous applause and some of his friends where whistling out loud and cheering for his amazing performance, making Zagreus flush as he chuckled. 

_What mattered to him most, despite all the praise he received, was what Than thought of it all._

Did Thanatos understand? Did he see what Zagreus was trying so hard to convey with his tune? These questions were bugging Zagreus' mind as he offered Apollo a firm handshake for his service and promised him a drink before climbing down the stage. The tipsiness didn't wear off in the slightest, rum being the kind of alcohol to keep on burning for a while, so he was still a bit dizzy as he walked. Before Zagreus could make it to the bar again, he was stopped by a cold hand gripping his wrist gently, giving him shivers as he turned to look who it was.

_Thanatos._

Zagreus looked at him with a soft gaze, smiling gently at the elder. Thanatos opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking as if he had to say too many things at once, things that were battling each other on their way to reach his lips. After a little bit of this embarrassing gaping, Thanatos spoke, his voice barely audible over the music that came from the stage once again. "You look slightly drunk, Zag." He murmured, making Zag sigh softly. ' _Of course, you idiot._ ' Thanatos mentally scolded, ' _He sings all that heartfelt melody for you and the first thing you think to do is point out he is drunk._ '

For a smart guy, Thanatos surely is a dumbass.

Zagreus hummed, "I am tipsy at best." He chuckled, making Thanatos relax too now that he saw the youth didn't take it as some sort of insult. Then, he realized Zagreus should be taken home to rest after all this, so Thanatos should probably do his civic duty as a best friend (that still hurt like crazy to admit) and take the younger man back home. "Do you need a lift? You should rest."

Zagreus weighed the option a bit before he found himself nodding.

Thanatos held his wrist the entire way to the parking lot and to the car. He flushed again when Zagreus pointed out that he should probably let go of it if he wants to be able to drive, let alone get in the car. Than hoped Zagreus was drunk enough not to pay that much mind to all the stupid things he was doing, but then again... one never knew with the athlete. Hopefully it wasn't the case.

The ride back to Hades' house was silent, awkwardly so. Thanatos was still trying to figure out if Zagreus was sober enough to mean everything he tried to say with his song and Zagreus was struggling to keep his heartrate from skyrocketing at the silence Thanatos maintained in the car. Honestly, Than could always turn on the radio for the sake of breaking the tension with something, but he was too focused on the road ahead to try and fiddle with the device right now. And Zagreus was too lazy, or maybe he just didn't dare move.

Neither of them said anything in the end.

Once they reached Zagreus' place, Thanatos pulled over inside the alleyway leading to the garage and stopped the car, engaging the handbrakes and taking out the keys. Zagreus was watching him from the passenger's seat and when their eyes met, they once again shared a moment of utterly awkward silence. Both of them scrambled to get out of the car, Thanatos walking close to Zag in case the youth would show any signs of stumbling due to his drunkenness (though that was just what Than liked telling himself, not admitting he just wanted to be close to Zagreus at the moment) while Zagreus fiddled with the keys to the locked main door since this time around, he was home alone. Hades and Persephone were visiting Demeter's house and they even took Cerberus with them, so Zagreus was truly, entirely alone.

Not that he minded.

_Especially not in this case._

Getting the door open, Zagreus stepped inside first, taking off his shoes. Thanatos didn't follow him, feeling as if he would be intruding if he assumed he was invited over just because he dropped Zagreus off. Zag looked over at him curiously, Thanatos averting his gaze and scratching the back of his head nervously before he tried to speak, "I... I should go-"

"Wanna come in?" Zagreus cut him off, though judging by his tone, it was more of a demand rather than a suggestion. It was clear for the both of them that they had several matters to discuss, but so far, no one took the first step.

So Thanatos will try to help with that.

"I, uh... Thank you, Zagreus." The older man muttered, nodding as he made his way inside as well. Zagreus motioned him to follow towards the living room, telling Than to make himself comfortable while Zag goes bring some snacks over for them to eat now that they were home. Thanatos didn't feel too good letting an inebriated Zagreus go about the house and possibly fiddle with sharp objects, but Zagreus will probably be careful. Especially since Thanatos was completely unaware Zag wasn't even drunk in the slightest.

Zag returned with a bowl of slated peanuts, placing it on the coffee table before he took a seat on the couch opposite from Than's own. He felt like he should give Thanatos some space for what he had in his mind now, because this time around, there was no Hypnos to walk in and interrupt them. There was no one else who could come ruin this moment for them.

So Zagreus won't wait anymore.

_Risk it all._

"Thanatos." Zagreus suddenly spoke, startling Thanatos at the sudden loss of silence. The elder looked over at him curiously, listening as Zagreus continued. "Remember that time when I was painting your nails? The time when I wanted to let you know something important but Hypnos suddenly barged in..." Thanatos nodded, flushing a little at the memory of how close the two of them were. He could somehow see (or at least he hoped) where Zagreus was getting with this, but he didn't know anything for certain until the youth was saying it outright. "I... _I am tired, Thanatos._ "

_Zagreus is tired?_

"...Me too, if it helps." Thanatos added, hoping they were on the same page, making Zagreus hum softly before he continued. "I am tired of always dancing around this subject as if I would be _killed_ if I brought it up. Tired of having to lie to myself, to everyone, to _you_ out of all people... I am _tired_ of seeing Ares shamelessly display his affections for you while I couldn't bring myself to do so even _once_." That made Thanatos' eyes widen. Zagreus was truly... he was actually _confessing_. "Thanatos... _I like you._ Fuck, I have liked you since high school, actually. And I was afraid that if I told you, I would ruin our friendship... I didn't want that. The thought of it terrified me, because the friendship with you was the _best_ thing that ever happened in my life. When no one was there for me, I always had you by my side. It was pretty much _unavoidable_ for me to fall in love with you, I think." Zagreus chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek a bit as he looked away.

_Thanatos could feel his heart on the verge of exploding._

All this time... all these _years_ , Zagreus liked him and Thanatos never knew. He was entirely oblivious to the reasons Zagreus had for trying out relationships with so many people he had no clue about. All this time, Zagreus tried to _cope_. He tried to push away his feelings for Thanatos, fearing he would lose him if he admitted to them. 

_And Thanatos was exactly the same._

For a while, he didn't say anything. He tried to take in that the situation was real, that this... _thing_ was truly happening. Zagreus, his childhood best friend and the man Thanatos loved in silence for years was finally confessing to him. It was a lot to take in, to say the least. "Zagreus..." Thanatos started, his usually collected voice now trembling the slightest bit with the strength of his emotions. "It's... I... How could I even-"

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, Than. If you... if you don't feel the same, I get it. Just... let me know. Make it hurt less-"

" _I love you, you idiot._ " Thanatos cut him off, his heart thrumming in his ears. Zagreus froze, eyes wide as saucers as his own heart raced like crazy, beating against his ribcage like a bird trying to break free and fly away. Thanatos... _loves_ him. Thanatos, the man Zagreus longed for all these years, just admitted he _loves_ him. _Him_. "I have loved you since years ago. I tried not to bring it up because I was worried for the same reasons you were. It's... _Do you even know what you are doing to me now, Zag?_ Singing that deep song back at the club, bringing me inside to let me know all this... _How do you want me to react?_ I can't even-" Thanatos cut himself off, aimlessly gesticulating for a bit before he sighed deeply, flushing in embarrassment.

_This entire evening was a fucking rollercoaster._

Zagreus suddenly grew bold. Might just be the alcohol, but now that Thanatos basically gave him a permit for it, he got up, walked over and plopped himself down on the couch right at the elder's side. Thanatos flushed more, watching him silently before Zagreus took a hold of his hand, grinning like a fool, happiness blossoming inside of his every fiber. " _Can I kiss you?_ " He asked, making Thanatos widen his eyes a bit before he nodded, maybe faster than he was willing to admit.

_Please._

Zagreus leaned in, slowly, as if he was approaching a scared animal ready to bolt at any sudden movement. Thanatos didn't pull away, letting Zag do things at his own pace, but as soon as their lips touched... All of those years of silent pining crashed down on the both of them with a weight akin to tons and tons of pure, raw steel. Zagreus pressed in softly, but their kiss gradually gained heat as Thanatos, driven by his hunger for touch, coaxed the younger man's mouth open to slide his tongue inside. He could still feel the slight taste of rum and coke on Zagreus' tongue. Zagreus growled in their kiss, pleased with this turn of events, before he made quick work of gaining the upper hand, his tongue dominating Than's own in a way that made Thanatos shudder.

One may be tempted to feel as if they were taking things too fast considering they just confessed. But Thanatos and Zagreus have been in love with each other for far too long to still deny themselves this utter relief, this living proof their intense, repressed feelings were _real_. Zagreus broke the kiss for breath, panting softly, hands resting on Than's face and tracing his cheeks as Thanatos' own rested on Zag's neck in return, the two of them staring into each other's eyes with an entire whirlwind of intense emotions. Relief, delight, affection, _love..._

**_Lust._ **

" _You have no idea how many times I dreamt about this..._ Touching you, kissing you-" Zagreus began, his tone heavy with lust and showing how eager he was for more. Thanatos groaned at the prospect, "Me too. I need more of you, Zag..." He murmured, kissing Zagreus deeply, the younger man returning the gesture in kind, if not with more fervor. Zagreus broke the kiss again much to Thanatos' dismay, but only for the sake of motioning him to come along, dragging Than towards the upper floor and to his bedroom so they had a proper place for the activities they had in their minds.

_Gods, was Zagreus glad he was home alone today._

As soon as they walked inside the room, Zagreus pinned Thanatos against the door, kissing him as if he wanted to steal the very air from Thanatos' lungs. Than moaned softly and kissed back, his hands tugging at Zagreus' clothes as if they personally insulted him as Zag started grinding his hips against his in return. The friction was utterly delicious, dizzying and addictive in the best ways and Thanatos couldn't help the way he grinded back, delighted to feel the hardness pressing against him from inside Zagreus' pants. " _I want you, Than... Fuck, I want to take you so bad... You don't know how many times I jerked off to the thought of you taking me in..._ " Zagreus whispered heatedly as he kissed and nipped along the shell of Than's ear, taking the lobe between his teeth, pleased to find out Thanatos was really sensitive there. Than shuddered and groaned, the idea of having Zagreus fuck him bringing a brand new fire in the pits of his abdomen as he nodded, cold hands sliding over Zagreus' hot skin beneath the athlete's shirt, fingers tracing the defined muscles there.

"I also..." Thanatos started hotly, though he took a moment to think about what he wanted to say. It would be really damn embarrassing to admit he _fingered_ himself a lot of times thinking about how it would feel taking Zagreus in, so he settled for what was the second best option in this particular context, " _I thought about you, too..._ in those ways, I mean. So hurry... _Make it a great reality for the both of us, Zagreus._ " He muttered, Zagreus giving him a cheeky smirk in return before dragging him off to bed.

_Cocky bastard._

Zag pushed Than down on the bed and made quick work of both of their clothes, too hot and needy to try and be polite. The garments flew left and right despite Thanatos' protests about Zagreus' lack of respect for clothes, not that he meant much of them. Seeing Thanatos almost naked, though, was a whole new experience. Thanatos was absolutely _gorgeous_ and Zagreus had a hard time keeping himself back from jumping his bones right there and then, had it not been for the nagging thought that he had to get Than ready for it, first. Than was once again flushing at the way Zagreus eyed him hungrily, but he, too, was feeling ten times more turned on now that Zagreus was exposed in front of him. " _You're beautiful,_ you know that? Thanatos..." Zagreus whispered, hands tracing Than's bare sides before reaching up and toying with the elder's nipples, pinching and flicking them, bringing them to full hardness and eliciting soft moans from the other. 

"You're one to talk..." Thanatos replied, letting his hands slide over Zagreus' back, tracing the strong muscle he could feel rippling beneath the skin before dipping past the waistband of his boxers and cupping Zagreus' ass, _squeezing_.

_Damn, that's firm._

Zagreus gasped before groaning in delight, grinding his hips against Than's once more heatedly, Thanatos biting his lip and throwing his head back on the mattress as their lengths rubbed against each other through nothing but two layers of measly fabric.

_Two layers of fabric that were utterly offending both of them at that moment._

Zagreus was the one who got them out of those, now finally baring them both to one another. Thanatos was pleased to see Zagreus was packing slightly more than average and his obvious delight didn't go unnoticed, Zagreus grinning proudly, his ego being inflated greatly. Thanatos reached down and stroked Zagreus a few times, making his lover ( _Gods it feels good to say that_ ) groan and buck into the touch before he leaned down and rained kisses and bites along Thanatos' neck. Than was worried that Zagreus was going to leave marks that he wouldn't be able to hide, but Zag was careful, biting only in the areas he knew would be covered by Than's usual turtleneck sweater.

_What a considerate man._

Zagreus panted as he leaned down, taking one of Thanatos' nipples inside his mouth before rolling it between his teeth teasingly, dragging a sharp gasp and a deep moan out of Thanatos, who arched his back into the touch like he had been starving for it since the very dawn of time. Considering how long they have been pining for each other in silence, it wasn't far from the truth for any of them. Zagreus continued the rougher treatment on Thanatos' nipple before switching and repeating it on the other one as well, making Thanatos groan and buck his hips in need, his length hard as a rock and leaking copiously on his abs.

Zag stroked him a couple of times, making Thanatos hiss from sensitivity before he brought himself to ask, "Lube?" Zagreus hummed, motioning him to shuffle up on the bed properly and wait a moment, leaning towards the bedside table and opening the drawer there before fiddling around for a while. Grabbing the small bottle, Zagreus pulled it out and grinned triumphantly at Than, who couldn't help but smile at how much of an adorable dork Zag could be at times.

Most times.

Just when he was about to lean in for another kiss, Zagreus froze, realization hitting him. "Ah, fuck..." He cursed, earning a curious look from Thanatos. " _I am out of condoms._ " Zag clarified, Thanatos making a small ' _Oh_ ' sound in return. After a bit of silence, Than hummed, "I... don't really mind. I took a thorough shower before Hypnos dragged me to the party. And I am pretty sure you are clean... So am I." 

_Zagreus almost choked on nothing but air._

"Y-You... _you want me to do you raw?_ " He asked, genuinely incredulous to it. Thanatos, realizing how embarrassing it sounded, blushed red as a cherry, but nodded nonetheless, not willing to say it out loud. Zagreus moaned, " _Fuck_ , Than, that's... _that's so hot, babe..._ " He murmured, kissing Than lovingly before pulling back to start prepping him. Thanatos' heart raced at the pet name, finding it unusual, but extremely nice to hear.

Zagreus was extremely careful with the preparation. He worked his fingers inside of Thanatos slowly, tugging on the rim of Than's entrance at times to get it to loosen, even if every fiber of his being was screaming at him to move things along, to hurry it for the sake of his sanity. Zag wanted Thanatos to feel amazing, he wanted to _blow the elder's mind_ with what he could do, so he knew he would have to take his time, no matter what. He even put in the effort of edging Thanatos a lot by teasing him both from the inside and on the outside, denying him his release up until Thanatos was nothing but a panting, needy mess. Once Thanatos started begging, though... " _Zag, please..._ "

_Zagreus knew he lost this battle._

"Y-Yeah... _I got you, gorgeous._ Don't worry..." He murmured, pushing Than's legs open wide before lining himself up with the elder's prepped hole, Thanatos biting one of his fingers to keep himself from sounding too needy and embarrassing. His free hand reached above his head and gripped at the headboard of the bed, just for the sake of feeling grounded better. All this time, all those years of craving and need for closure led up to this very moment and both of them wanted it more than anything else.

_So Zagreus pushed in. And they both lost themselves._

He started out slow, allowing Thanatos enough time to get used to the stretch. It was foreign, but not unpleasant, even more so as Zagreus began picking up speed. Thanatos was moaning and holding him close, calling his name over and over softly as the youth fucked into him as if his life depended on it. His love for Thanatos knew no bounds and the older man could see it clearly, feel it in the movement Zagreus made, desperately trying to get him to his climax.

_'I love you.'_

Zagreus groaned, kissing Thanatos deeply as he angled his hips enough to nail the other man's prostate dead on, bringing delicious shivers along Thanatos' spine as his back arched in return. Than's length was caught between the two of them, getting rubbed from all sides and this whole stimulus was driving him absolutely _crazy_.

_'I adore you.'_

Thanatos scratched along Zagreus' back, the youth moaning in delight as he kept up with his thrusting. The elder dragged him down into another heated, sloppy kiss and as their tongues collided, they could both feel their orgasms racing towards them at top speed. 

_'You are my everything.'_

Thanatos was the first to come, moaning Zagreus' name and arching off the bed as he made a downright _mess_ between their bodies, the previous edging prolonging his release enough for Zagreus to join him in it. The youth didn't get to pull out in time, so he let his load go inside of his lover, not that Thanatos seemed to mind. Sure, it would be a bit harder to clean from there, but he could manage. It was a small price for the degree of intimacy he felt from the gesture itself.

It took a while for them to come down from their high. And once they did, they inevitably did it again and again, keeping themselves occupied for the entire night, almost until the sun was starting to rise. They slept through most of the day afterwards, being too tired to do much, too tired even to get up when Persephone (who returned from her visit with Hades and Cerberus) peeked in and saw the two of them cuddled up together so cutely. She wasn't surprised since she saw Thanatos' car still in the alleyway, but she sure as hell was relieved when she figured out those two finally admitted their feelings and sorted everything out.

When they woke up, they took a while simply to bask in the afterglow of it all, sharing lazy kisses and soft touches meant to showcase their adoration. Zagreus brushed his fingers through Thanatos' silky hair, fondly recalling the time the elder had it styled long during their childhood, making Thanatos hum as he leaned into the touch. After a while, though, Zagreus broke the silence, "So... does this mean we are dating now?" He asked, making Thanatos laugh. _Laugh._ Zagreus thought he never heard something more beautiful. "You just fucked me for a whole night without even giving me a moment to breathe, Zagreus. I can't feel my legs. I would be disappointed and shocked if we aren't." Thanatos joked, Zagreus laughing as well. "Hey, it never hurts to ask for confirmation, you know?"

What came afterwards, once they were cleaned up and decent, was the most difficult thing Zagreus had to do in his life up until then. He knew he couldn't keep it under the wraps any longer, so he had to come out clean to his father, no matter how much he feared the man's reaction. He was shocked to hear what Hades had to say. "Wait a moment, bo- _Zagreus_. You mean to tell me that you and Thanatos were _not_ together before?"

It's safe to say everything turned out well, at least. Once their friends found out about it, the only thing in everyone's minds was a very relieved ' _Finally._ ' The ones who were the happiest for them were Achilles and Patroclus, who were utterly amused to find out they acted as relationship counsellors for Thanatos and Zagreus this entire time without even knowing about each other's influence. They were glad to see the younger men finally settling it, though.

Nyx was also delighted to hear the news, offering her blessing for their relationship in kind and making Thanatos flush in embarrassment while Zagreus grinned as bright as the sun itself. The woman was then approached by Charon too regarding his own lover, considering the man had yet to tell his mother about his relationship with Hermes. The woman was amused that Charon seemed to be nervous when introducing Hermes to her, but she liked the journalist a lot, so it was alright.

As for Thanatos and Zagreus, finally, those two were a couple. Finally, they admitted their feelings after dodging the matter for years. Finally, their love blossomed, and later down the road they even found themselves married.

_Finally, they were together._

**Author's Note:**

> I. Am. /Tired./ But I hope this thing was a good read, at least. I will probably make a few tweaks here and there when I am more awake, but if you read it all, you are a motherfucking MVP, pal- Thank you for making it this far!
> 
> It took longer than I wanna admit, but I hope you people like it! I liked working on it, it was honestly a goddamn /trip/- It's 5 AM, I am not even kidding, it took me 20+ hours total to write... Kudos and comments are always appreciated! I want to hear what your opinions are!!
> 
> REMINDER: If you have any requests, leave them in the comments below! I always read all comments and reply as soon as possible, so don't hesitate to do it! I would love to hear what you have to say!


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